[Notes] Indian Diaspora

The Indian Diaspora is a generic term to describe the people who
migrated from territories that are currently within the borders of the
Republic of India. It also refers to their descendants. The Diaspora is
currently estimated to number over twenty million. composed of "NRIs"
(Indian citizens not residing in India) and "PIOs" (Persons of Indian
Origin who have acquired the citizenship of some other country).

The Diaspora covers practically every part of the world. It numbers
more than a million each in eleven countries, while as many as
twenty-two countries have concentrations of at least a hundred thousand
ethnic Indians.

The Diaspora is very special to India. Residing
in distant lands, its members have succeeded spectacularly in their
chosen professions by dint of their single-minded dedication and hard
work. What is more, they have retained their emotional, cultural and
spiritual links with the country of their origin.

This strikes a
reciprocal chord in the hearts of people of India. It is to nurture
this symbiotic relationship to mutual advantage that the Government of
India. Given the great diversity and global spread of the Indian
Diaspora, it was a mammoth task.